A Few Thoughts About The Game, in no particular order.....

[3rdand12]

Great game, and very fun to watch!

 

The penalties for the Bills are a concern! 11 for 113 yards

 

Andrew Luck went 26 of 49 for 240 yards passing along with only 17 rushes all game. (Luck looked a lot like EJ did against the Texans last year!) Meanwhile the Bills rushed 36 times for 147 yards.

 

Buddy Ryan was at the game to watch his son Rex coach the Bills. Great stuff to see Buddy in Bills gear.

 

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited September 13, 2015 by 3rdand12

[boyst]

Tyrod didn't start the game. Cassel did.

[Kelly the Dog]

Tyrod didn't start the game. Cassel did.

Tyrod was in the starting lineup, too.

[Dr. K]

1) Big time props to Preston Brown. Did you see that pass defense with 1 minute left in the 3rd quarter? This from a player who is thought of as primarily a run defender. The Colts had to waste a timeout after the play. This matters, and count me in as a huge fan of this kid.

 

 

I like Preston Brown, but his personal foul penalty when he put his helmet into Luck after Luck had already gone down was inexcusably stupid, the kind of play that can lose a tight game for you.

[Agent 91]

WECOME BACK dude.

 

Gilmore's film study showed up today - he was running the receivers' routes for them. He is well on his way to elite status EXCEPT for his stone hands...

 

Darby was fantastic too, as was Robey, and as was Butler who made a few critical plays to help cement the victory. Rex has the defense he wants.

It was Butler who broke up the play leading to AWs int right

[Kelly the Dog]

I like Preston Brown, but his personal foul penalty when he put his helmet into Luck after Luck had already gone down was inexcusably stupid, the kind of play that can lose a tight game for you.

That was really bad. And he's usually a pretty smart player. He had an excellent game outside of that play. Just ridiculous that he did that.

[dulles]

Is there anybody besides me that feels we were getting hosed by BS Ref penalties in second half?? I am tired of these BS calls that always go against us.

The reason it feels like a conspiracy is due to CBS's coverage. Their producers aren't fast enough with replays, so we can never see what happened with our own eyes. I'd love to see a few of those holding calls or Hughes' personal foul. I've always enjoyed coverage from the other networks over CBS, especially Fox.

[JohnC]

1) Big time props to Preston Brown. Did you see that pass defense with 1 minute left in the 3rd quarter? This from a player who is thought of as primarily a run defender. The Colts had to waste a timeout after the play. This matters, and count me in as a huge fan of this kid.

 

2) Big time shout out to our kickers and special teams. They made a difference in a huge way. Carpenter came through despite the concerns. Dontcha love it?!

 

3) I dedicate this post and this game to the Bills Fan who took his own life at RWS last night. I wish he could have seen this, and pray that he did.

 

4) Gilmore played the best game of his career imo. He was all over his man and was able to get his hand in numerous times. It was just freaking great to see.

 

5) The OL needs to improve. Glenn had 2 holds and I wanted to see bigger holes on running plays.

 

6) Let's focus on Tyrod for a moment. This kid, in his first NFL start, took over the game, and he did so against ANDREW LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!! He was poised, smart, and accurate. Call me insane, but I think that my favorite play was the one where he was calm enough to bat down the deflected pass. A mistake could have cost us a touchdown and yes, the game. Wait until he REALLY takes off and runs! His potential has few limits.

 

7) Goddamn, well I declare,

Have you seen the like?

Their walls are built of cannonballs,

their motto is Don't Tread on Me!!!!!!

Come... hear, Uncle John's Band,

by the riverside.

Got some things to talk about,

here, beside the rising tide.

 

8) Neither Corbin Bryant nor Kyle Williams showed up that much in the stats today. That said, they both did their jobs!!!!! Kyle provided pressure and looked fresh. Bryant moved well and was in on quite a few tackles. When Marcel comes back, this is going to be fun to watch!

 

9) Nickell Robey is a winner. Period.

 

10) Percy Harvin is a mismatch with two legs. If he can keep his head on straight, he can win us football games.

 

11) Sack totals notwithstanding, I am 100% thrilled that Rex blitzed all day. It took pressure off the secondary and enabled them to make plays.

 

12) Are we still worried about Darby? This was probably one of the best games ever played by a rookie corner in his first game in the post rule change era.

 

13) I have a feeling that we will be seeing a lot of Karlos Williams. We need someone to compliment McCoy with that downhill style.

 

14) I'm proud to be a member of this community. We truly do deserve days like this.

Excellent summary. Just about everything you observed was on the mark.

Gilmore played an excellent game. He was tough. As you know I have been touting Gilmore since he was drafted. Is it rude to tell you "I told you so"?The one thing about Darby is that of all our corners he may be the best at reacting to the ball and catching it. I'm not saying he is our best DB but his instincts are superb. If McKelvin or Gilmore for that matter had those same ball skills we would have an upper tier defensive backfield.

 

I thought Incognito was our best blocker. The blockers didn't create many lanes for the running game but compared to last year it was a noticeable improvement. I was very disappointed in Glenn.

 

Since I caught glimpses of TT in preseason I have been very surprised at his overall game. He is a smart player and a very responsible player. He doesn't panic when the play breaks down and makes something out of nothing. What has really surprised me about him is how polished he is passing the ball. He can make all the throws and he throws a sweet ball. Isn't it refreshing to have a qb who is accurate!!!

 

The success of this team is going to come down to how he plays. He doesn't have to force the action. If he can play at a competent level then this team takes a quantum leap into the serious category. His style of play reminds me of Russell Wilson's type of game. For a young player who didn't get much playing time over the past four years he has a mature game. He is a very quick player who plays with great vision and poise. I'm very impressed and mostly because of him very hopeful.

[Agent 91]

My main concern on the line was that Henderson got smoked on a couple of the runs for losses. Their left edge rusher seemed to get free a couple of times as well to apply pressure on pass plays. Thinking two weeks ahead to the edge rushers of the Dolphins that is a concern.

Henderson held her own against Wake last year. Just has to pick up the intensity

[dulles]

It was Butler who broke up the play leading to AWs int right

Butler was solid. Whichever scout brought him in needs a bonus! I love our depth, although Brooks and Rambo looked very poor on the TD.

I like Preston Brown, but his personal foul penalty when he put his helmet into Luck after Luck had already gone down was inexcusably stupid, the kind of play that can lose a tight game for you.

That's harder to fault than it seems. Luck had already faked out of slide once on the run. I'd rather have them be aggressive and draw a few flags.

[Agent 91]

Chop block call lingers with me. Game seemed rigged and we overcame!

I would love seeing how he chop blocked someone and on the same play made a big reception. That man must be omnipresent.

[BuffaloBill]

14) I'm proud to be a member of this community. We truly do deserve days like this.15) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amen. Great Game.

[Kelly the Dog]

Excellent summary. Just about everything you observed was on the mark.

Gilmore played an excellent game. He was tough. As you know I have been touting Gilmore since he was drafted. Is it rude to tell you "I told you so"?The one thing about Darby is that of all our corners he may be the best at reacting to the ball and catching it. I'm not saying he is our best DB but his instincts are superb. If McKelvin or Gilmore for that matter had those same ball skills we would have an upper tier defensive backfield.

 

I thought Incognito was our best blocker. The blockers didn't create many lanes for the running game but compared to last year it was a noticeable improvement. I was very disappointed in Glenn.

 

Since I caught glimpses of TT in preseason I have been very surprised at his overall game. He is a smart player and a very responsible player. He doesn't panic when the play breaks down and makes something out of nothing. What has really surprised me about him is how polished he is passing the ball. He can make all the throws and he throws a sweet ball. Isn't it refreshing to have a qb who is accurate!!!

 

The success of this team is going to come down to how he plays. He doesn't have to force the action. If he can play at a competent level then this team takes a quantum leap into the serious category. His style of play reminds me of Russell Wilson's type of game. For a young player who didn't get much playing time over the past four years he has a mature game. He is a very quick player who plays with great vision and poise. I'm very impressed and mostly because of him very hopeful.

Very good post, John. Agree with all of that. TT not panicking was my biggest takeaway, too. He really didn't throw a terrible ball the entire game. If he doesn't make mistakes, which he didn't, we should be scary. I was especially impressed with the way he led backs on swing passes and usually hit McCoy in perfect stride.

 

Another thing great about this game was all three teams were prepared and played well except for the penalties (which cannot be ignored). The offense, defense, and special teams were all well prepared and played well.

[BuffaninATL]

I like karlos straight ahead power style for this offense more than McCoys shake n bake. McCoy leaves yards on the table too often trying to show flash when I'd like to see him power ahead and pickup those extra 3-5 yards the defender is giving.

 

Loved the darby draft pick when they drafted him. Said then he'll be a top DRoY candidate. Today reinforced that belief, especially adding pick stats that voters look for.

 

Need Dareus back. Too much room up the middle. If colts weren't such a pass happy team they'd have made us pay more for it.

 

We have guards that can pull .... Hallelujah

 

Why is boobie on this team and Fred not?

 

Not going to get down on Watkins for 1 reception game. Even in low production efforts he's still occupying opposing D's #1 DB and opening opportunities for others. As long as continue to do that he's valuable.

 

When clay gets his hands on it he's a defenses secondary's worst nightmare: a full back who can run

 

Some complain about refs being against us; not what I saw. They hurt colts too with holding calls, one that killed their opening possession and another that brought back a luck first down scramble. Overall I thought the officials were flag happy, like trying to prove a point that didn't need to be made. But I don't think it was one-sided.

 

I'm more impressed with tyods poise than his flash and skills. He showed good judgment when to go down and not risk further loss, turnover or injury. Still not at all convinced EJ wouldn't perform better.

 

To the bolded:

 

• because Boobie has a role on ST
• You make it sound like zero catches for Sammy (yes, he had 0, not 1) is his fault - ("low production effort"); not exactly. Was a combination of other factors, i.e., not getting targeted enough, defense took him out of the game, QB missing a progression, etc. Seems like a bit of an overreaction to say "not going to get down on Sammy."

Other comment: what's the over/under on Solomon alluding to "getting to the second level" ?......

[The Dean]

Butler was solid. Whichever scout brought him in needs a bonus! I love our depth, although Brooks and Rambo looked very poor on the TD.

That's harder to fault than it seems. Luck had already faked out of slide once on the run. I'd rather have them be aggressive and draw a few flags.

 

While I agree Luck's move probably played a part, Brown had plenty of time to pull up, and decided not to do so. That's not "agressive" play. That's "stupid" play. But I'm not really worried about Preston,

 

 

 

To the bolded:

 

• because Boobie has a role on ST
• You make it sound like zero catches for Sammy (yes, he had 0, not 1) is his fault - ("low production effort"); not exactly. Was a combination of other factors, i.e., not getting targeted enough, defense took him out of the game, QB missing a progression, etc. Seems like a bit of an overreaction to say "not going to get down on Sammy."

Other comment: what's the over/under on Solomon alluding to "getting to the second level" ?......

 

And Boobie is a pretty good short yardage back.

 

I love me some Fred, but compare what he did today against Karlos' and Boobie's contributions. (I said "boobies") If Fred is on the team, is he not dressed? That would be disrespectful.

[truth on hold]

 

To the bolded:

 

• because Boobie has a role on ST
• You make it sound like zero catches for Sammy (yes, he had 0, not 1) is his fault - ("low production effort"); not exactly. Was a combination of other factors, i.e., not getting targeted enough, defense took him out of the game, QB missing a progression, etc. Seems like a bit of an overreaction to say "not going to get down on Sammy."

Other comment: what's the over/under on Solomon alluding to "getting to the second level" ?......

I keep hearing that but Im not seeing it. I see Easely make plays. Maybe Im not following ST enough to notice, but I think it's clear FJ is much better in the backfield

 

Couple other points while I have the mic:

 

- Rex really is a defensive genius. With Dareus and McKelvin out, and starting a rookie as #2 DB, we would have gotten smoked last year with Schwartz showing the same look. Rex mixed it up, and anticipated well the adjustments Colts would make, and also their pass-first tendency

 

- I know everyone is excited, but TT better have his "A" game next week. You can bet Pats are going to come up with a better game plan having a full game of film and an extra week to prepare. In particular I see them taking away his tendency to throw in the flats, and make him prove he can beat them with throws over the middle

Edited September 14, 2015 by JTSP

[Agent 91]

Talk about cherry picking.

 

9th in 2009

 

6th in 2010

 

21st in 2011

Kellys point is still valid. 3 times in 6 years is not too bad

Edited September 14, 2015 by Agent 91

[LA Grant]

I keep hearing that but Im not seeing it. I see Easely make plays. Maybe Im not following ST enough to notice, but I think it's clear FJ is much better in the backfield

 

Well, Boobie blocked several punts last year and came close again today.

[Agent 91]

 

Linky? (Or website at least?)

Nigel reamed Preston over that roughing the passer hit on Luck too. sniff sniff* I may smell leader?

I like karlos straight ahead power style for this offense more than McCoys shake n bake. McCoy leaves yards on the table too often trying to show flash when I'd like to see him power ahead and pickup those extra 3-5 yards the defender is giving.

 

Loved the darby draft pick when they drafted him. Said then he'll be a top DRoY candidate. Today reinforced that belief, especially adding pick stats that voters look for.

 

Need Dareus back. Too much room up the middle. If colts weren't such a pass happy team they'd have made us pay more for it.

 

We have guards that can pull .... Hallelujah

 

Why is boobie on this team and Fred not?

 

Not going to get down on Watkins for 1 reception game. Even in low production efforts he's still occupying opposing D's #1 DB and opening opportunities for others. As long as continue to do that he's valuable.

 

When clay gets his hands on it he's a defenses secondary's worst nightmare: a full back who can run

 

Some complain about refs being against us; not what I saw. They hurt colts too with holding calls, one that killed their opening possession and another that brought back a luck first down scramble. Overall I thought the officials were flag happy, like trying to prove a point that didn't need to be made. But I don't think it was one-sided.

 

I'm more impressed with tyods poise than his flash and skills. He showed good judgment when to go down and not risk further loss, turnover or injury. Still not at all convinced EJ wouldn't perform better.

Because Boobie isnt trying to be the oldest running back in league history at a hefty price tag for being a number 3 back while giving you nothing on special teams (Breath). We all love Fred, but he is gone. And is not coming back. We have Lesean McCoy Bryce Brown Anthony "Boobie" Dixon and Karlos Williams. Those are the rbs that Rex and Greg went with and thats all that matters.

[Kelly the Dog]

Nigel reamed Preston over that roughing the passer hit on Luck too. sniff sniff* I may smell leader?

Because Boobie isnt trying to be the oldest running back in league history at a hefty price tag for being a number 3 back while giving you nothing on special teams (Breath). We all love Fred, but he is gone. And is not coming back. We have Lesean McCoy Bryce Brown Anthony "Boobie" Dixon and Karlos Williams. Those are the rbs that Rex and Greg went with and thats all that matters.

It's hard to imagine anyone complaining that Karlos Williams is not someone the Bills need to get in the game and a big part of the future.

Edited September 14, 2015 by Kelly the Dog

[BuffaninATL]

 

Well, Boobie blocked several punts last year and came close again today.

good call, I missed that

I keep hearing that but Im not seeing it. I see Easely make plays. Maybe Im not following ST enough to notice, but I think it's clear FJ is much better in the backfield

 

Couple other points while I have the mic:

 

- Rex really is a defensive genius. With Dareus and McKelvin out, and starting a rookie as #2 DB, we would have gotten smoked last year with Schwartz showing the same look. Rex mixed it up, and anticipated well the adjustments Colts would make, and also their pass-first tendency

 

- I know everyone is excited, but TT better have his "A" game next week. You can bet Pats are going to come up with a better game plan having a full game of film and an extra week to prepare. In particular I see them taking away his tendency to throw in the flats, and make him prove he can beat them with throws over the middle

 

while you have the mic - love it....

 

agreed 1000% with your second point; I would say w/out hesitation BB's game plan will be far more challenging than Pagano's, esp. since BB has now seen TT in action (albeit, only a single game as a body of work...)

[JohnC]

Very good post, John. Agree with all of that. TT not panicking was my biggest takeaway, too. He really didn't throw a terrible ball the entire game. If he doesn't make mistakes, which he didn't, we should be scary. I was especially impressed with the way he led backs on swing passes and usually hit McCoy in perfect stride.

 

Another thing great about this game was all three teams were prepared and played well except for the penalties (which cannot be ignored). The offense, defense, and special teams were all well prepared and played well.

I am an avid admirer of Russell Wilson. Right from the start he played with maturity and poise. If he were four or five inches taller he would be receiving more accolades and recongnition than he is currently receiving. And he is already recognized as one of the better qbs in the league!!! Wilson has excellent stats. But even with his high end stats they don't define how special he is. It is his mental grasp of the game that elevate him as a player.

 

I don't want to get carried away in my bias with the home town qb. But when I watch TT (admittedly a very small sample) I seem to watch a qb playing a very similar game. A lot of people gush over TT's running and scrambling ability. That isn't what is getting me excited. It is the mature way he plays and it is the beautiful ball he throws. He has a good arm, he is accurate and he has a great touch on the ball depending on situation.

 

Whenever I see TT scramble I watch how he usually keeps his eyes downfield. That is what Wilson does when he is moving away from pressure. TT doesn't have to match Wilson for our offense to make a major leap forward. If he can play even at a lesser but similar style of game then the Bills should be very hopeful about their prospects this year and in the future.

Edited September 14, 2015 by JohnC

[K-9]

I am an avid admirer of Russell Wilson. Right from the start he played with maturity and poise. If he were four or five inches taller he would be receiving more accolades and recongnition than he is currently receiving. And he is already recognized as one of the better qbs in the league!!! Wilson has excellent stats. But even with his high end stats they don't define how special he is. It is his mental grasp of the game that elevate him as a player.

 

I don't want to get carried away in my bias with the home town qb. But when I watch TT (admittedly a very small sample) I seem to watch a qb playing a very similar game. A lot of people gush over TT's running and scrambling ability. That isn't what is getting me excited. It is the mature way he plays and it is the beautiful ball he throws. He has a good arm, he is accurate and he has a great touch on the ball depending on situation.

 

Whenever I see TT scramble I watch how he usually keeps his eyes downfield. That is what Wilson does when he is moving away from pressure. TT doesn't have to match Wilson for our offense to make a major leap forward. If he can play even at a lesser but similar style of game then the Bills should be very hopeful about their prospects this year and in the future.

Great insight here. TT's pocket game has been a revelation as he's clearly looking to find an open guy before taking off most of the time. He's a 180 from where he was in college in that regard.

 

I don't think we realize just how hard it is for a QB to remake himself like that. It's a testament to his intelligence and work ethic, which I've heard are off the charts.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Kelly the Dog]

I am an avid admirer of Russell Wilson. Right from the start he played with maturity and poise. If he were four or five inches taller he would be receiving more accolades and recongnition than he is currently receiving. And he is already recognized as one of the better qbs in the league!!! Wilson has excellent stats. But even with his high end stats they don't define how special he is. It is his mental grasp of the game that elevate him as a player.

 

I don't want to get carried away in my bias with the home town qb. But when I watch TT (admittedly a very small sample) I seem to watch a qb playing a very similar game. A lot of people gush over TT's running and scrambling ability. That isn't what is getting me excited. It is the mature way he plays and it is the beautiful ball he throws. He has a good arm, he is accurate and he has a great touch on the ball depending on situation.

 

Whenever I see TT scramble I watch how he usually keeps his eyes downfield. That is what Wilson does when he is moving away from pressure. TT doesn't have to match Wilson for our offense to make a major leap forward. If he can play even at a lesser but similar style of game then the Bills should be very hopeful about their prospects this year and in the future.

I have said this endless times here, that Russell Wilson is a total freak and no one should be compared to him and there has never been another player like him and probably never will. He was great at 19 out of 20 things you want in an NFL QB except height. He had one of the best college seasons of all time (without looking it up like a 193 rating and 37 TDs versus 5 or so INT, whatever). EVERYONE, including the Seahawks thought his height would affect him in the NFL and it just didn't.

 

Taylor played great but he has a long, long way to go before he can be considered like Wilson. He had a great, great start today. It's possible that lightning has struck twice. But Taylor never showed a lot of the stuff that Wilson did in college or in the pros, although he is starting to now. He's very smart, and he's a great leader, and he is making great decisions right now. If he continues this, though, he could be something I doubted would happen.

[K-9]

I have said this endless times here, that Russell Wilson is a total freak and no one should be compared to him and there has never been another player like him and probably never will. He was great at 19 out of 20 things you want in an NFL QB except height. He had one of the best college seasons of all time (without looking it up like a 193 rating and 37 TDs versus 5 or so INT, whatever). EVERYONE, including the Seahawks thought his height would affect him in the NFL and it just didn't.

 

Taylor played great but he has a long, long way to go before he can be considered like Wilson. He had a great, great start today. It's possible that lightning has struck twice. But Taylor never showed a lot of the stuff that Wilson did in college or in the pros, although he is starting to now. He's very smart, and he's a great leader, and he is making great decisions right now. If he continues this, though, he could be something I doubted would happen.

Another good post. Wilson simply hasn't had to remake his game like Taylor.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[CountryCletus]

I was about to take exception to your opinion on Kyle and Bryant, then I kept reading and have to agree... While they didn't change the game, they did their jobs- pressuring and collapsing the pocket... I have to ask.... Why dedicate this game to a fan who made that terrible decision? While I don't what to make light of whatever issues he was going through, I'm not quite sure I agree with publicizing his decision as it may influence others who suffer from the same or similar mental illness..... I hope his family can find peace, though... Very sad....

[Deranged Rhino]

 

Well, Boobie blocked several punts last year and came close again today.

 

JTSP has no intention of having an honest conversation about the Bills. Ever.

[K-9]

 

JTSP has no intention of having an honest conversation about the Bills. Ever.

That's because Boobie Dixon is a natural CB.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Deranged Rhino]

That's because Boobie Dixon is a natural CB.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

True! How could I overlook that!

[Kelly the Dog]

That's because Boobie Dixon is a natural CB.

 

GO BILLS!!!

Did you see the way he turned his hips on that one run when he tried to go outside and lost three yards? That's textbook CB agility.

[JohnC]

Great insight here. TT's pocket game has been a revelation as he's clearly looking to find an open guy before taking off most of the time. He's a 180 from where he was in college in that regard.

 

I don't think we realize just how hard it is for a QB to remake himself like that. It's a testament to his intelligence and work ethic, which I've heard are off the charts.

 

GO BILLS!!!

RGIII is a good example that no matter how well you played in college the pro game is a different game. It doesn't matter how great your physical skills are unless you master the mental side of the game you will fail. With RGIII, without even considering his diva personality traits, unless he can develop better vision and master the mental side of the game he will struggle.

 

As you suggested it is a process of hard work and effort in learning how to play. Some people can grasp the intuitive side of the game and others will never get it. TT has an understanding what it takes. That is a good start and a good sign.

[K-9]

Did you see the way he turned his hips on that one run when he tried to go outside and lost three yards? That's textbook CB agility.

Yep. Boobie is all swivel and burst.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[MattM]

I am an avid admirer of Russell Wilson. Right from the start he played with maturity and poise. If he were four or five inches taller he would be receiving more accolades and recongnition than he is currently receiving. And he is already recognized as one of the better qbs in the league!!! Wilson has excellent stats. But even with his high end stats they don't define how special he is. It is his mental grasp of the game that elevate him as a player.

 

I don't want to get carried away in my bias with the home town qb. But when I watch TT (admittedly a very small sample) I seem to watch a qb playing a very similar game. A lot of people gush over TT's running and scrambling ability. That isn't what is getting me excited. It is the mature way he plays and it is the beautiful ball he throws. He has a good arm, he is accurate and he has a great touch on the ball depending on situation.

 

Whenever I see TT scramble I watch how he usually keeps his eyes downfield. That is what Wilson does when he is moving away from pressure. TT doesn't have to match Wilson for our offense to make a major leap forward. If he can play even at a lesser but similar style of game then the Bills should be very hopeful about their prospects this year and in the future.

What I also liked about TT today was his intense nature on the sidelines--CBS showed him several times during the game talking intently either to a single player (Dixon comes to mind) or to large groups of the O. He had fire in his eyes and to an outsider at least looked like he knew what he was talking about. Rex and others have raved about his football IQ and I think on plays like the batted down batted pass showed it. We may have a real good one here, folks (fingers crossed)....

[Kelly the Dog]

What I also liked about TT today was his intense nature on the sidelines--CBS showed him several times during the game talking intently either to a single player (Dixon comes to mind) or to large groups of the O. He had fire in his eyes and to an outsider at least looked like he knew what he was talking about. Rex and others have raved about his football IQ and I think on plays like the batted down batted pass showed it. We may have a real good one here, folks (fingers crossed)....

I think that is really the one reason why he may be very good. IMO there are about 20 different things you have to be good at to be a great NFL QB. A few of them, like leadership, and ability to read defenses pre-snap and change plays, and getting your teammates to believe in you are things that we as fans can't easily detect. It's not shown in accuracy or pocket presence or stats or highlight reels. But if you are going to be a good NFL QB you need this, too.

 

Pretty much everyone who has commented on this kind of thing has made a point out of saying that TT has it. Now, granted, coaches and players will always talk up their teammates. But this is a specific, important, thing, and they go out of their way to mention it.

 

I don't know if TT is going to be good. He has a good start but a LONG way to go. The reason I think he has a chance, however, is not his performance, it is this kind of stuff.

[Deranged Rhino]

I think that is really the one reason why he may be very good. IMO there are about 20 different things you have to be good at to be a great NFL QB. A few of them, like leadership, and ability to read defenses pre-snap and change plays, and getting your teammates to believe in you are things that we as fans can't easily detect. It's not shown in accuracy or pocket presence or stats or highlight reels. But if you are going to be a good NFL QB you need this, too.

 

Pretty much everyone who has commented on this kind of thing has made a point out of saying that TT has it. Now, granted, coaches and players will always talk up their teammates. But this is a specific, important, thing, and they go out of their way to mention it.

 

I don't know if TT is going to be good. He has a good start but a LONG way to go. The reason I think he has a chance, however, is not his performance, it is this kind of stuff.

 

The reason I think he has a chance is because of his shirt.

[Kelly the Dog]

 

The reason I think he has a chance is because of his shirt.

That shirt is very confusing to a defense. They have no idea what is going on, why he did it, or what will follow.

[Deranged Rhino]

[voodoo poonani]

Don't know where this belongs, but props to Mario Butler who played well filling in for Darby.

[DC Tom]

 

The reason I think he has a chance is because of his shirt.

 

Now how the hell am I supposed to trust his downfield vision when he dresses like that?

[Kelly the Dog]

 

Now how the hell am I supposed to trust his downfield vision when he dresses like that?

You don't want your QB to be predictable. No one would have predicted he chose that shirt.